“Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” (UAVs) (sometimes referred to as “drones” or Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)) refer to aircraft without a human pilot aboard. The flight of a UAV may be controlled either autonomously (e.g., by onboard and/or remote computers) or by the remote control of a pilot. One proposed use of UAVs is for the delivery of payloads (e.g., packages).
For autonomous operation of a UAV, it can be important that the flight path for the UAV be chosen based on a number of possible restrictions or guidelines. For example, autonomously operating UAVs may be required to fly above approved paths and/or may be required to avoid certain areas (e.g., highly populated areas).